Chuwit in Phuket calls out Tourism Ministry on Patong nightlife hours

[webfact]

Chuwit in Phuket calls out Tourism Ministry on Patong nightlife hours

Tanyaluk Sakoot

 

Chuwit Kamolvisit (right) speaks to a foreign bar owner on Bangla Rd, highlighting that the the heart of Patong's nightlife is a hotbed for foreign tourists, not thais. Screengrab: Facebook / ChuvitIamBack

 

PHUKET: -- Outspoken and controversial former MP Chuwit Kamolvisit in a Facebook Live broadcast across the internet this week called on the Tourism and Sports Ministry to “Wake up and promote” Phuket’s Bangla Rd in Patong and to allow late-night trading on the popular nightlife street.

 

Mr Chuwit, who before his entry into politics was the country’s biggest massage parlour kingpin, called for the Tourism Ministry to allow bars and nightclubs to remain open until 4am.

 

“Ministry of Tourism and Sports: Wake up and promote!” Mr Chuwit said in the live broadcast as he paraded along Bangla Rd, joined by Patong Entertainment Business Association (PEBA) President Weerawit Krueasombut and Preechawude “Prab” Keesin, Head of the Pisona Group of companies.

 

“You must think about this. As I walk around here on Bangla Rd, most of the people are foreign tourists, not Thais. There are no students and no schools in the area that you need to worry about,” he said.

 

“No tourists go to sleep early on their holidays. They sleep in late and wake up late. Think about it,” he added.

 

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/chuwit-in-phuket-calls-out-tourism-ministry-on-patong-nightlife-hours-61344.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2017-03-10

[craigt3365]

Hard to argue with him.  Many places around the world have bars that are open literally all night.

[zaphod reborn]

8 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Hard to argue with him.  Many places around the world have bars that are open literally all night.

And Chuvit should still be behind those bars.  How do they let this guy run around Thailand without compensating the thousands who lost everything they had by his illegal actions?

[Psimbo]

'No tourists go to sleep early on their holidays. They sleep in late and wake up late. ' What an ignorant statement- a lot of eople on holiday have no interest in Bangla.

 

I wonder how much the 'scions ' of Patong paid him for his 'impromptu' visit? 

Edited March 10, 2017 by Psimbo

[Destiny1990]

From his face expressions seems that the bar owner has spend already enough time on Bangla road.

[Briggsy]

Chuwit is a hero to hundreds of thousands of Thais.

[Allstars]

 

 

 

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Chuwit Kamolvisit (right) speaks to a foreign bar owner on Bangla Rd, highlighting that the the heart of Patong's nightlife is a hotbed for foreign tourists,

Isn't Chuwit the one who flatted a whole row of bars that were a hotbed for tourists?

[IamNoone88]

Bottomline is not making tourists happy - its all about the money ......

[Ulic]

Very few people can pull off that '"look"  he is not one of them.

 

That said I do agree with him.

[Sydebolle]

The customer decides at the end. Let the market decide if it is worthwhile to be open all night, the night owls and the individual operators will decide on that. 

The more governmental influence is taken the less business, turnover, profits and taxes result. Each and every bottle of beer sold at 3 am still creates 7% VAT. 

Look at the tourism business in the Philippines after the Catholics told the business what to do. Look at all those "quality" tourists creeping around in Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Phuket. Thailand is a prime example and joins the other victims of corruption and greed on how not to do it. Once the tourism is screwed up it will never come back, be it Greece, Italy, Spain, the Philippines or the Caribbean. 

[jerojero]

 
 
 
Isn't Chuwit the one who flatted a whole row of bars that were a hotbed for tourists?

Yep. Soi 10 Sukhumvit. Now a park bearing his name and a Christian prayer on the front gate (really).

[roo860]

Legend

[emoji106]

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[Destiny1990]

1 hour ago, jerojero said:

Yep. Soi 10 Sukhumvit. Now a park bearing his name and a Christian prayer on the front gate (really).

Well replace some bars for a park is not really a bad idea..Hope they make more parks if it means less bars so be it.

[NoBrainer]

2 hours ago, Allstars said:

 

 

 

Isn't Chuwit the one who flatted a whole row of bars that were a hotbed for tourists?

Yes, but seemingly they were illegally squatting on his land, and had plenty of time to move, prior to him taking action.

[madmitch]

36 minutes ago, NoBrainer said:

Yes, but seemingly they were illegally squatting on his land, and had plenty of time to move, prior to him taking action.

Wrong. Chuwit let the land to someone who in turn built and sub-let the bars. The problem was that the lessee had sublet some of the individual bars for longer than the term of the original lease. The bar-owners had contracts. The demolition was Chuwit's way of getting his land back quickly. The bar-owners were very much the innocent parties in this and had no notice. 

 

 

[craigt3365]

8 minutes ago, madmitch said:

Wrong. Chuwit let the land to someone who in turn built and sub-let the bars. The problem was that the lessee had sublet some of the individual bars for longer than the term of the original lease. The bar-owners had contracts. The demolition was Chuwit's way of getting his land back quickly. The bar-owners were very much the innocent parties in this and had no notice.

I use to go there a lot.  I was there the morning after it was demo'ed.  I knew a few owners there.  They knew what was going on.  Just didn't think they'd have their businesses bulldozed.  Which was wrong, for sure.  But that's one problem here.  Many just tend to ignore the laws and when things go sour, scream bloody murder.  All the owners there knew the score.  It'd been a problem for several years.

[elgordo38]

23 hours ago, webfact said:

Mr Chuwit, who before his entry into politics was the country’s biggest massage parlour kingpin, called for the Tourism Ministry to allow bars and nightclubs to remain open until 4am.

Methinks he has an iron in this fire. 

[elgordo38]

Plain and simple sex and booze sells. Wake up and smell the roses. Get to know which side of the bread your butter is on. A fool and his money are soon parted. Foreigners have the cash to make a splash. If you do not recognize this its "Adios Amigos"

[elgordo38]

3 hours ago, Allstars said:

 

 

 

Isn't Chuwit the one who flatted a whole row of bars that were a hotbed for tourists?

Its called eliminating the competition. This guy has street smarts. 

[elgordo38]

Love you Ms. Kobacorn but this guy seems after your job. Put your Joan of Arc feelings on hold and lets see a little Terminator an eansy teansy weensy bit.  

[Get Real]

Just another street. Same laws must be applied. No person nor a street can stand above the law.
If they can not accept that, just shut the street down! Easy peasy!

[elgordo38]

19 hours ago, Psimbo said:

'No tourists go to sleep early on their holidays. They sleep in late and wake up late. ' What an ignorant statement- a lot of eople on holiday have no interest in Bangla.

 

I wonder how much the 'scions ' of Patong paid him for his 'impromptu' visit? 

Everybody has their price but this guy looks like a natural. You just cannot keep a good? man down. 

[elgordo38]

3 minutes ago, Get Real said:

Just another street. Same laws must be applied. No person nor a street can stand above the law.
If they can not accept that, just shut the street down! Easy peasy!

Even Ms. Kobacorn would not let you get away with that nor would the BIB accept a reduction in their "take home" pay.

[elgordo38]

30 minutes ago, madmitch said:

Wrong. Chuwit let the land to someone who in turn built and sub-let the bars. The problem was that the lessee had sublet some of the individual bars for longer than the term of the original lease. The bar-owners had contracts. The demolition was Chuwit's way of getting his land back quickly. The bar-owners were very much the innocent parties in this and had no notice. 

 

 

Takes B***s and this guy seems to have em in spades. Kind of reminds me of Sutheps alter ego. 

[Moncul]

23 minutes ago, elgordo38 said:

Even Ms. Kobacorn would not let you get away with that nor would the BIB accept a reduction in their "take home" pay.

One thinks you may have hit the nail on the head.

If they're allowed to stay open until 4am, the need for backhanders is gone.

Of course they'd soon find a method to replace the lost revenue.

[elgordo38]

2 minutes ago, Moncul said:

One thinks you may have hit the nail on the head.

If they're allowed to stay open until 4am, the need for backhanders is gone.

Of course they'd soon find a method to replace the lost revenue.

Possibly take charge of the ladies and rotate them so that they look fresh in different locations. Do they have any equipment rental places here in Thailand.? 

[NanLaew]

4 hours ago, Allstars said:

Isn't Chuwit the one who flatted a whole row of bars that were a hotbed for tourists?

 

1 hour ago, NoBrainer said:

Yes, but seemingly they were illegally squatting on his land, and had plenty of time to move, prior to him taking action.

 

1 hour ago, madmitch said:

Wrong. Chuwit let the land to someone who in turn built and sub-let the bars. The problem was that the lessee had sublet some of the individual bars for longer than the term of the original lease. The bar-owners had contracts. The demolition was Chuwit's way of getting his land back quickly. The bar-owners were very much the innocent parties in this and had no notice. 

So a lot of the bar leases were ultimately illegal documents thus they were illegally squatting. Therefore he was quite right to use force as the bar owners had no legal right to repeatedly ignore the warnings to vacate.

 

Thanks for playing.

[madmitch]

1 hour ago, craigt3365 said:

I use to go there a lot.  I was there the morning after it was demo'ed.  I knew a few owners there.  They knew what was going on.  Just didn't think they'd have their businesses bulldozed.  Which was wrong, for sure.  But that's one problem here.  Many just tend to ignore the laws and when things go sour, scream bloody murder.  All the owners there knew the score.  It'd been a problem for several years.

You're probably right. I knew one owner very well, a farang, who honestly didn't have a clue, but I would guess a lot of the more savvy Thai owners, and these bars were mainly Thai owned if my memory serves me correctly, had an inkling or more. But I still say the main cause of the problem was the first lessee. 

 

 

[natway09]

Call it a special entertainment area & let it trade 24/7. If we want tourism this is what is needed.

I do agree that he should still be behind bars though even if only for the cowardly act of demolishing 

Sukhumvit Soi 10 under cover of darkness with his henchmen. No compensation paid & no real reason

given as to why he even ordered it done.

Now he is siding with the bar owners,,,,,, funny bloke & would never trust him

[NCC1701A]

and have a huge police force on patrol 24/7 arresting drunks and dealing with crime right on the spot. And EMS paramedics very close by...

 

oh, never mind...